I’m liking the sound of Louis Leterrier’s new Clash of the Titans more and more. Sure, his Hulk was simple-minded, but it was also energetic and fun. Not like the original Clash was any great shakes in the thematic department, so I’m happy to see Leterrier turn out a well-cast funhouse with mythological monsters and Sam Worthington in a toga.
We may not see the grieving Liam Neeson as Zeus, which is a great but wholly understandable shame. But Ralph Fiennes, who can be so wickedly malevolent without even seeming to try, is in ‘advanced negotiations’ to show up as Hades, according to Variety.
EDIT: Or perhaps we will see Neeson in the role of Zeus. Variety has edited the original article to position his involvement as his first new project since the tragic death of Natasha Richardson.
That doesn’t mean he’s going to be evil, per se, as the underworld of Hades isn’t strictly Hell; his character, according to myth, is a lot more complex than a simpleton like the latter-day Satan. Not that Hades will necessarily be a wildly complex character in Leterrier’s version (reference Hulk again) but if Fiennes is in the role, I’ll be expecting a lot more than I would otherwise.